— PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE WHOLE PERSON —
how we see you and why it’s important to recognize yourself in the photos
We understand getting your picture taken can be a nerve wracking experiences, sometimes even triggering a particularly traumatic experience from your past. Everyone has a memory attached to what they consider to be a “really bad photo” of themselves. This memory is often from an aunt yelling to stand up straight and or mom forcing everyone to say cheese. Or worse, from a photographer micromanaging how you are supposed to sit/stand/place your hands/smile/smile with your eyes/etc etc etc in order to make a “good” photograph and how everything you were doing was the opposite. Those words, those experiences follow us and can come back in whispers whenever a camera comes out.
According to a million and one Instagram posts and videos, there is a “right” way to pose and “more flattering” angles that you should be taking advantage of. What people easily overlook, is what is required of them in order to make the “perfect” Pinterest worthy photograph. More often than not, images that gain traction on Instagram or Pinterest were created on a styled shoot. This means the people in the photograph are not actually getting married that day, and are sometimes even professional models. Spending two hours posing and re-posing to create the “perfect” photograph is something that can be done on a styled shoot because there is nothing being given up in exchange. Models are trained to move and angle their bodies in a way that best suits whatever it is they are selling.
On a wedding day, however, you are not selling anything and every moment matters.
Since your memory is tied to the photographs taken during this time, the last thing we want is for that memory to be a negative one. This time should be about you two enjoying each other on your wedding day. Who are we to fill it with coercion, correction, or manipulation? We recognize that there are nuances and in-between gestures that Instagram poses and perfect angles do not do justice to, and often hide in the name of “beauty”. Our job is to see and honor who is in there, not just the outward body you inhabit. This does not mean we will take unflattering photos of you. What it does mean, is that when we take portraits of you together as a couple and individually, our goal is to photograph you as a whole person, seeing past your physical features and instead capturing the essence of who you are. There is more to you than your gorgeous curly hair, or the sculpted arms you worked so hard for, or the curves you are just now starting to appreciate and embrace. During this portrait time, we may ask you to move slightly if you look uncomfortable or give you basic instruction if you are nervous and need it.
These are not prompts of manipulations to get you to feel something you don’t or pretend to be something you’re not. We will not ask you to contort yourself or take longer than what you feel comfortable with. Looking back on the photographs, we want you to know they are real, without our fingerprints all over them.
While we believe these photographs are significant, they are not the focal point of why you are getting married. As two humans filled with thoughts and feelings, memories and dreams, we strive to see and honor the human in you by recognizing you as a whole person who wants to experience their wedding day as fully as possible. With this empathetic mindset, we approach portraits holistically by creating a safe space for you to be fully free from:
bull-shit standards of beauty
shifting awkwardly into poses that make you feel icky
judgement
feeling like someone is manipulating your emotions
thinking you’re ruining the photo
doing anything you don’t want to
